This invention relates to wafer carriers. More particularly it relates to wafer containers that have a cover or door to enclose the wafers in the container.
Various methods have been utilized to enclose wafers in containers for storage or shipping. Some containers have utilized vertical slots for the wafers and snap on top covers or lids of resiliently flexible plastic. In such carriers typically passive cushions attached to the top cover are deflected when engaging the wafers as the top cover was applied.
The semiconductor industry has evolved into processing larger wafers, up to 300mm in diameter, and is moving toward carriers and transport containers with exclusively horizontal wafer positioning. The larger containers necessary for holding the larger wafers make conventional passive resiliently flexible cushions difficult to fabricate and use.
The larger doors required for larger wafer carriers require secure latching mechanisms in the doors. Ideally, such mechanisms will be mechanically simple with few moving parts and no metal parts. The presence of any metal parts presents the possibility of generating metal particulates which can cause serious problems in semiconductor processing.